


Demons

by Unsung_Number



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:53:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26335201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unsung_Number/pseuds/Unsung_Number
Summary: Two augments are better than one. The retelling of Star Trek: Into Darkness with a little bit on the side. There will be action, there will be tragedy, but best of all there will be romance. Khan/OC.
Relationships: Khan Noonien Sing/OC





	1. Chapter 1

_Okay, I'm definitely no hardcore Trekkie. My only experience is the new Star Trek movies - which are spectacular. I had a inspiration. I acted on it. I own nothing and assert no in depth knowledge. Liberties were taken and things have been changed to suit my needs. A story is always more fun with a few surprises, anyway. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 1**

_"Power changes everything till it is difficult to say who are the heroes and who the villains."_

_― Libba Bray, The Sweet Far Thing_

"Good Morning, Officer."

It was cold. The sensation crashed into her like a mac truck – followed by a killer migraine. She tried to raise a hand to her head but found her wrist was restrained. Cold and metal, just like the surface below her. Her eyes fluttered open in response, only to be blinded by stark, fluorescent light.

"Oh yes, you might experience some slight pain."

She would have snorted if her vocal chords didn't feel so heavy. But they were tight, constricted, weighted down by disuse. Her eyes were slowly started to focus, the harshness of the light reducing as her as her pupils dilated.

The room was sterile and unfurnished save the table she was lying on. There were no windows or doors, only white-washed walls glared coldly back at her, refusing to reveal any secrets. Her only focal point was a metallic box suspended against the wall to her right.

She pulled at her restraints again and found them to be firm. They were melded to the metallic table below her, no weakness immediately clear.

"You're most likely a little confused, Officer." The speaker crackled slightly, as the unknown man spoke again.

She curled her lip in response. Confusion was right. Where was she? Why was she bound? Who was the man speaking? Friend or…?

"You see, I must confess that I am quite surprised by your progress. It took Harrison nearly a week to regain full consciousness. You've taken a mere 3 days."

Harrison. Her mind screamed in protest as she tried to remember. Harrison, no. She didn't recognize the name. No subconscious response, nothing. Just the pain burning angrily behind her temples.

"Where…" Her voice came out as a strangled rasp. It sounded alien to her. Nails on a chalkboard. What did her voice sound like? She could barely remember…

"You're in a research facility. It is the year 2258."

She inhaled sharply. 2258. Four numbers that shot through her like lightning. 2258. 300 years. Was it possible? Her mind struggled, trudging through a thick swampy haze. She couldn't process.

"Why?"

"Well, that's a bit of a weighted question, Officer. One that I believe is above my pay grade. Once the Admiral arrives, I believe he'll be more than happy to brief you on the current situation. As it stands, I'm just here to observe and aid in your revival process. Tell me, how do you feel?"

Talk about weighted questions. How did she feel? She felt like shit. She felt like the world was compressing down around her, like she couldn't breathe. Her mind was fighting to comprehend what she had just heard, while her body strained to recuperate from a 300 year nap. Questions raced, one by one, all unanswered.

Were the others still alive, who were these people, what was this research facility, where was it, what was the state of the world, where did she stand, where did anyone stand? Who – what – how – where- when – why why why?

"Like shit." She finally responded.

"Well that's certainly a rather blunt way to put it; though it is to be expected. Your body will take some time to familiarize. You will most likely experience cephalalgia – er – headaches for the next few days. You will be weak and your memory will fragmented at best."

Great. Sounds like a blast.

"Do I…"She swallowed hard, her voice scratched her throat like sand as it ushered from her lips."Or rather, must I remain bound?"

As there was nothing in the room, no windows, or even hint of door, it seemed rather unnecessary for her to remain shackled like a criminal. Unless…of course…she was still considered as much.

No response.

"Hello?"

"Er…yes…well, about that. The Admiral stated that it would be preferable for you to stay bound just in case…" The unease was evident in the man's voice.

"I suppose. But honestly…" Her voice was becoming stronger, by the word, she felt the crisp clarity that had always marked her dialogue begin to return. Yes, that was right. She had always been a bit of a smart ass.

"What could I possibly do…you did neglect to tell me your name."

"Er...Officer Vale." He seemed a tad bit hesitant to offer his name. Though offer it he did. Little good it did to shed any light on the situation. Officer, a title that could denote an array of employments; though it took little to speculate that medical officer was most likely Vale's primary function. Which…well, was pretty obvious.

"Ah…all right, Officer Vale. Well, as you can obviously gather, there's a rather redundant set-up at the moment. I'm bound in a room with no doors or windows. Unless you think I possess the ability to somehow will myself from this room…which might I add I do not, it seems a touch unnecessary."

Officer Vale did not respond immediately, though she did hear him trigger the microphone and release, as he clearly gathered his thoughts, probably considering whatever higher protocol governed situations such as this.

He had stated that someone like her had been revived recently. Had he remained bound? And who was he? Harrison was still a name that triggered no memory whatsoever. The good officer had said that her memory would be shoddy at best, but still. The names of her compatriots were emblazoned in her mind. Even through the haze of cryosleep, she could still recall all their names like fireflies on a dark night. Their features darted in and out of her recollection, but never their names.

Instead of a verbal response, it pleased her to hear a loud clank announce that Officer Vale had deduced that her reasoning held merit.

"I suppose it can't do that much harm. In fact, it will only aid in a swifter recovery if you are able to move your body from the prone position. But please, sit up with extreme caution."

"Good man, Vale." She responded with appreciation. The Officer was clearly her captor at the moment, though displayed signs of easy manipulation.

She gingerly lifted her arms from the binds, pulling them close to her and rubbing the ache away from her wrists. To be honest, the discomfort was little in comparison to the overall cloud of pain that settled comfortably over her entire being. It was an unwelcome guest in a body that indefinably remembered its primary directive was perfection. Pain was weakness. Weakness was inexcusable. The precepts of her past were deeply ingrained in the core of what she was. The augments of humanity, bred for excellence, no matter what.

It was with the extreme caution that Officer Vale had cautioned her that she attempted to lift herself. Her body screamed as tendrils of pain coursed through her like a fire. It licked hungrily at her arms, as she propped herself up. It danced along her legs as she raised them, moving them tentatively over the edge of the table. It took more effort than she liked to recognize to pull her frame into a seated position, her legs hanging down limply.

"Are you all right?" Officer Vale's voice was muted by her agony; she clutched the edges of the metal table with white knuckles, as she inhaled sharply.

"I'm fine." She choked out, carefully controlling the tone of her voice. It was with another deep breath that she steadied herself, smothering the flares of pain. It could smolder in some dark recess, but would no longer be tolerated.

"Now, Officer Vale, there must be some things that you are able to disclose?" She moved on quickly, occupying her mind with figuring out as much as she could before this mysterious Admiral made an appearance. She was at a clear disadvantage, weakened and clothed in only a swathe of flimsy bandaging that concealed her enough to remain reasonably decent. She was unarmed and completely ill-informed of…well, anything really.

"You say this is a research facility. Though I can imagine you are unable to state the purpose of said facility, perhaps you could tell me where it is?"

"Earth. This facility is located on Earth, Officer, in Europe to be slightly more exact. Again, there isn't much that I'm able to tell you."

"Well, that's certainly a start, Vale."

Earth. She certainly had never been imagined that she would be back there. After everything, after the decision to leave so many years ago. The decision to escape, a small voice whispered surreptitiously in the back of her mind.

No, not escape. Fear was not a factor in the equation. It was leave or die at the hands of the lessor. It was practicality. Death, the final submission, was not an option.

But isn't that fear?

She shook her head. It was incredible that the same thoughts that had plagued her mind as she lay down in her stasis pod before yielding to cyrosleep had returned so quickly. Like waking from a single night's rest, the 300 hundred years had done nothing at all to help her forget.

"This Harrison, Officer, is one of my own?" She spoke suddenly, wishing to banish her thoughts.

"I'm sorry?" Officer Vale replied in confusion.

"The man you mention earlier, that took a week to recover?" She pushed off the edge of the table as she said this. Her feet hit the cold floor slowly, pawing at it, as her legs slowly began to revive. She continued to hold the table for support, but she could already feel her body healing. Her record had stated that even in comparison to other Augments she had always been an exceptionally fast healer.

"I'm sorry, Officer, I can't…"

"...Tell me anything?" She interrupted. "Can't hurt to ask. You may call me Morrigan, by the way. I'm hardly an Officer of anything at the moment."

"I don't know if that would be proper." Vale was clearly on the lower end of the totem pole, grasping at decorum to mold his existence.

She dismissed his response with a wave of her hand. "Do as you wish then. So, this Admiral of yours, is he generally this tardy?"

"Uh…well, I don't think anyone expected you to be awake so quickly. You've recovered in an incredible amount of time. How is walking?"

His dodging of her question was obvious, but she didn't press. She, instead, responded to his question by taking a few steps. Her legs were a little wobbly for the first few moments, but steadied quickly.

"Extraordinary." He remarked. "A normal human in your condition would take months to recover."

"Well, the reasoning for this is simple, Vale. I'm not human. "She replied matter-of-factly. There was humanity and there were Augments. Yes, they came from a common lineage, but the differences between the two were so profound that other than appearances, it was simpler to classify them as dissimilar races. Vale's unfamiliarity of this fact did divulge that there were most likely no augments in this time frame. Not an unexpected fallout from the wars.

"It's with regret that I must admit our information on Augments is quite deficient. After the Eugenics Wars, all genetic modification was banned and all research on the subject was either destroyed or locked up behind the highest of security clearances." She could hear the disappointment in his voice. After watching her recovery and whatever data they had compiled from the other Augment those involved were most likely left feeling woefully lacking.

"Eugenics War? Interesting moniker." It was an idle remark that belied her thoughts. Eugenics Wars, interesting indeed. She wondered what tales the history books now spun of them and their actions so many years ago. Were they listed by name or were they a dark enigma, cautioning of the dangers of playing God. Most likely, History spoke of some amalgamation of the perspectives of humans during her time. Cruel, unfeeling, ambitious, arrogant. There was certainly some truth in such an account. A certain sense of conviction, of complete and utter confidence, came with their birthright. But labeling them as arrogant was simply depreciating the simple fact that they were…better. A wolf does not boast that it is stronger than a domestic dog. It simply is. As for unfeeling…the thought made her sneer, the bittersweet truth of just how much she could feel soured in her chest.

"Well, then, whilst we wait for your belated Admiral, how about you enlighten me on what exactly you do know about us Augments and I'll fill in the missing pieces." A delighted gasp sounded over the speaker as Officer Vale quickly began to ask questions. A tedious diversion, but hopefully enough to waste the time until the Admiral finally did arrive.

"So did any of the Augments have children? If so, were they as advanced or less advanced…or even more advanced?" Officer Vale asked the same exuberance he had asked the last hundred or so questions. Morrigan rolled her eyes; she had regretted her offer almost immediately after Vale had started asking her questions. Uneasy silence would have been a far more pleasant scenario to wait instead of this frenzied barrage of ignorance.

"Within my company there were no children."

"Oh…that's unfortunate." His reply was deflated. The unabashed curiosity was not what irritated her. It was the glaring fact that everything about the Augments had been completely lost. Like a disgraced Pharaoh, they had been chiseled off the tablet of history. Vale's meager knowledge infuriated her. The Augments in this time were thought to be nothing more than genetically enhanced humans who grew power-hungry and attempted to take over the world. A more bigoted summation could not possibly have been thought up.

Her captain, Khan Noonien Singh, was seen a tyrannical despot, a barbaric and savage psychopath. The names of his crew, her included, faded into the overpowering shadow cast by Khan.

She was pulled from her thoughts by a strange buzzing sound that had started to emanate from the wall to her right. The white-wash of the wall slowly started to change, the white fading to a translucent sheen. She could now see Officer Vale, who was standing directly on the other side of the wall behind a long row of what looked like control panels and computers. He was young, though she had already assumed as much. His brown hair was buzzed short and he had a grey cap on his head with an unfamiliar signet inscribed on the front. Everything about the man was average, his height, his looks, his weight. He was wholly unremarkable. His clothing was a similar shade of grey to that of his hat with the same symbol as a pin on his chest.

He was not alone; it appeared that three other men had just recently entered the room. Two of them were large, brutish figures, dressed in blue uniforms, while the third was an older gentleman. His thinning hair was a dark shade of blonde and his skin was tanned. He was tall, though not exceedingly so, and in shape for his age. He had a severe look to his features with serious blue eyes and a straight line to his lips. His clothing was a more formal version of Vale's, with a stiff collar and a larger insignia pin on his chest.

At the moment, he was speaking with the good Officer Vale with a stern expression. This was clearly the Admiral they had been waiting for.

"Not to interrupt, but I'm quite ready to have some answers, Admiral." She spoke loudly and clearly. Not to save the Officer from whatever admonishment he was most likely receiving, she could really care less what happened to him. She did, however, care about her own predicament and what the purpose of it.

The Admiral turned to her, quirking his brow. He took a moment, perhaps to collect himself, and moved to the terminal before him.

"Your assumption is correct, Officer, my name is Admiral Marcus. My apologies on the wait, it had not been my intention. Believe me; I'm as eager as you are to get the ball rolling. " His voice was deep and naturally authoritative. It was now her turn to quirk her brow and she crossed her arms.

"Oh? Do tell, Admiral." She purposefully did not invite him to address her informally. It was obvious that he would not be as easy to manipulate as Vale.

"You see, I've come to a bit of a bottleneck. I find myself unable to advance without your aid." Despite his words, his voice betrayed no frustration. In fact, his voice belied nothing at all. He spoke to her coolly, as if speaking to one of his own. It irked her.

"I'm listening." She intoned with a wave of her hand, exhibiting the obviousness of her statement.

He smirked at her and pressed a switch on the board. He clutched his hands behind his back and began to pace in front of the window.

"About 7 months ago, the planet Vulcan was destroyed by a Romulan named Nero. He created a black hole with the use of a substance called red matter. How he procured the matter really isn't important. What is important is that it left a lot of people scared. Starfleet, which is a deep space exploratory arm of the United Federation of Planets, realized that we need to not only be able to defend ourselves, but arm ourselves if necessary. I understand that much what I have told you may not make sense at the moment, but I know you are intelligent enough to get the gist of it. You will be briefed further on the current state of universe at a later time."

He paused then taking a breath and turning to face her directly. While he spoke, she leaned against the table, her arms still crossed. She maintained an outwardly blasé appearance, while her mind quickly processed the barrage of information the Admiral was throwing at her.

"6 months ago, we began a program of space exploration with the sole purpose of discovering offensive technology. At that point, we came across a derelict sleeper ship adrift in deep space. You might know it."

"The Botany Bay." She answered.

"Yes, your sleeper ship that launched into space nearly 300 years ago after the Eugenics Wars. This ship housed approximately 84 stasis pods of cryogenically frozen Augments. Upon further investigation, we found that by some accident 72 of these pods had deactivated."

Her nonchalant demeanor cracked for a heartbeat, a flinch indiscernible to most. The entire crew dead save for herself and a few others - including this Harrison she couldn't even remember. Anguish swept over her like a tidal wave. After everything they had gone through to preserve themselves, it had all been for naught. The last vestiges of a race virtually extinguished without even knowing.

"If you need a moment…"

"I do not." She shot back instantly. She would not accept pity from this man, this human Admiral from a world where she clearly did not belong.

"Very well." The Admiral replied, eyeing her thoughtfully for moment. He began to pace again.

"As our knowledge of war in this time is pitifully lacking, it seemed most prudent to seek counsel of one who had been bred for it. With luck, one of the pods still active was that of your leader, Khan Noonien Singh." He stopped again, looking to her.

He was testing her, feeling her out and seeking discernible responses to his statements. This time, she did not allow her manner to falter though it took considerable effort to do so.

Khan…

The grief that had taken up residence within her twisted at his name. She could see him now as the Admiral delivered him the same news on the fate of his crew. Passion had always been his weakness - deep and unbridled, like the ocean during the storm. How he must have raged. How deep the pain must have been that stabbed through his entire being.

"With a little convincing, Khan agreed to aid us in our pursuit. He helped us…"

"Hold on for a moment, Admiral." Morrigan interrupted quickly. "Let me stop you there."

She pushed herself away from the table and walked towards the window, coming to stand in front of where the Admiral had paused in his pacing. Her eyes locked with his. His cool blue eyes stared back at her impassively. There was something amiss. Khan helping humans create weapons? Despite her inner turmoil, the mere notion made her want to laugh.

"So, let me just make sure we're on the same page. You're saying that you awoke Khan Noonien Singh, told him that the majority of his crew is dead, and he then agreed to help you? Is that correct?" The Admiral's eyes broke contact for a second and darted down.

"I did say that it took some convincing." He finally responded with a shrug, as if she should just drop the question there.

"That's not good enough, Admiral. I followed you through your explanation on to why your…Starfleet, did you call it?" He nodded. "Right...Why your Starfleet finds the need to arm itself. That makes perfect sense, despite my unfamiliarity with the current state of the universe. I also understand why you would want the aid of someone who is more experienced in the affairs of war."

She leaned closer to the window, bracing one hand against it. The surface was firm with the familiar feel of glass, though as she tapped her fingers across it, she knew there was more substance to it. It would not break easily.

"What I don't understand, Admiral," The words now fell from her lips tipped with venom. "Is why an Augment, especially Khan, would ever agree to willingly help you?"

"Well…" The Admiral started, but she silenced him with a slap of her hand against the glass.

"I am not finished." These foolish humans had made the same mistake that humanity had made so many years ago with the Chyrsalis Project. Drunk on power, they wielded it like a child with their father's gun. Clumsy. Reckless.

"I can only assume that since you are awakening me several months after you awakened Khan that myself and the remainder of the crew was used as leverage. This hardly inclines me to help you at all."

She pushed away from the window and turned her back on the Admiral. She stalked back over to the table and splayed her hands out upon the surface. It was a lighter metal - a malleable material that was most likely employed for its convenience.

Convenient, indeed. She thought as she ran her hands over the surface. It might just be enough. She just had to wait for the right moment.

"Though, I am sure, that you will attempt to control me as well. So, let's hear it, Admiral Marcus." She practically purred as she walked around the table. Leaning over it, she rested her cheek on one hand, while she drummed her fingers impatiently with the other.

The Admiral was clearly a man who kept his emotions in check, but annoyance spread plain across his face now.

"I see that you're not as agreeable as Officer Vale said you would be. That's fine." He stalked over to the central terminal. "I don't need you to be agreeable. Just compliant."

"Khan, after assisting in the creation of several weapons for our project, demanded that he see you. I made an error in judgment and told him that you, along with his crew, were dead."

Morrigan couldn't stop the scornful laugh that slipped from her at his words.

"As I'm sure you can guess, he rebelled," Admiral Marcus continued, ignoring her outburst. "He's gone missing and despite our best efforts, we cannot locate him."

"So what? You want me to find him for you?" Morrigan spat out in disgust. "You're out of your mind, old man. You might as well attempt to kill me now."

She lowered her hands to grip the table now. The only discernible sign that anything was amiss were her tensed knuckles, as she slowly began to lift the table. It would only take an instant to rip it from the bolts that secured it to the floor.

"Now, just hold on a minute." The Admiral called. If he was aware of what she was planning was inconsequential. All he needed to concern himself with was praying that it took more than one blow to break through the wall.

"You seem to have forgotten that 10 from your crew are still alive, sleeping peacefully in their little pods. It would be so easy to just deactivate them – let their bodies thaw naturally and despite all their superhuman strength die from the sheer shock to their systems. All you would have to look forward to is inevitable extinction."

Morrigan stopped. She had forgotten. Something she was not typically inclined to do. She was normally so careful, so precise in her actions and thoughts. It was rare that fervor warranted or not took hold of her. She had allowed it in the moment she let grief arrest her thoughts. It had been allowed to fester, even for a short period, and taint her actions.

She released the table and looked to the Admiral.

"You have my attention." Plain and simple, he had won this round.

"Good." A cold smiled spread across his face. "You will find Khan. You will bring him back here. If you do so, the remaining Augments will be safe."

"And then what?" He voice was but a whisper. He wanted her to betray her Captain for the lives of her crew on a hollow promise. She was no fool. Morrigan knew that there was no guarantee that if she did perform as he asked that he would hold to his words. It was almost guaranteed that he would probably renege on it. The one solid guarantee was that if she didn't at least feign compliance he would no doubt kill what little of her kind was left.

"Khan will complete what he started and you will all be free to go colonize some planet. We can work out the details later." Admiral Marcus replied dismissively with a wave of his hand.

She was torn. Pride pulled her fiercely in the direction of defiance and loyalty commanded her to concede. Then there was the third emotion. It whispered with a voice as soft as feather, lingering on the periphery of her mind. It was the emotion that she had always sought to deny; the one that had crept into her being like a thief and stolen a part of her. It was hushed sighs and lingering touches. It was the antipathy of what she was, of what they were. That emotion, despite it deceptive softness, was the strongest and the most dangerous of all.

"It appears that I have no choice, Admiral." Her answer made him smile coolly.

And now the lion must now appease the lamb. She thought ruefully. But be careful, Admiral. A cage does nothing to lessen the lion's might.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I shot for the sky,
> 
> I'm stuck on the ground.
> 
> So why do I try? I know I'm gonna fall down.
> 
> I thought I could fly, so why did I drown?
> 
> Never know why it's coming down, down, down."
> 
> Jason Walker – "Down"

The room was dark and small; dusky wood paneled the walls and there was a small window at the far end. Beyond the window was a large green field, which in the day was filled with flowers. A jumble of colors, blues, pinks, yellows, oranges, and reds. Her favorite were the red. There was something about the power of the color that stirred something in her. It made her think of apples in the orchard, sweet and crisp, or sunsets on the hill.

In front of the window was a desk at which sat a woman. She was older, perhaps in her mid to late 40's with dark auburn hair shocked with white. Her face was an austere surface of sharp angles and high cheekbones. She stared straight ahead now with amber eyes, eyes full of reproach and disappointment, with a trace of sadness underneath.

The objects of those eyes were two children, maybe 8 or 9 years old. One was a young boy, a lanky arrangement of skinny elbows and skinny legs not yet grown to their full potential. His hair was a riot of rich chocolate set upon a surprisingly aquiline face. It was a face from the past, one that was chiseled on pale marble statues by lost civilizations. It was his eyes though that struck. They were eyes that burned with an icy flame. She remembered the time that Amos had found a stray match underneath the couch cushions and lit it. The tiny flame flared up suddenly before them and they had watched in awe as it had burned itself down. The center of the flame was blue. Amos had told her that was the hottest part of the fire. With brash disregard, she had pressed two fingers to the match. Pain shot through her fingers as they instantly welted up red. His eyes burned like that.

The other child was her – a skinny thing with stormy grey eyes and messy blonde hair. Adelaide, one of the keepers, always tried to brush it, scolding her, 'Women kill for hair like yours, Morrigan. You should take better care of it.' But she didn't care. Hair was hair. Hair couldn't help her climb down the cliff face to the sandy beach below and it certainly couldn't help her beat all the others at king of the mountain.

They were in trouble, again. It was a weekly ritual to find them seated before Matron because of some mischief or another. Today was different though. They had been sitting in her office for a whole 15 minutes and she hadn't said a word. Normally she would order them in and have her tirade in full swing before the door closed.

They had all be out playing on the beach, splashing in the waves and investigating the tidal pools. But Amos had fallen while he'd been jumping from rock to rock, losing his footing on a slippery piece of seaweed. Khan and Morrigan had been at a nearby tidal pool when it had happened. Amos had struggled to swim, his arms weak against the crashing waves. It was well known that both of them were strong swimmers, but Khan and Morrigan had just stood by and watched. It wasn't until Adelaide had run over and leapt in that Amos was pulled from the water.

So, today Matron was quiet and the silence spoke volumes.

Any of the other kids would have been squirming in their seats now, but they didn't move a muscle.

"I just want to know why." Matron's voice was barely a whisper when she broke the silence.

"No…not why, how? How could you do such a thing?"

Morrigan looked over Khan who did not return the favor. He was sitting languidly in the chair, arm slung loosely over the top. He was looking at Matron with an undaunted expression on his face.

"What exactly was it that we did, Matron?" He asked coolly.

"Khan, you know damn well what I'm talking about." Matron rarely swore. She always had a tight handle on herself.

"That was not what I asked. I asked what we did, because from what I recall we did nothing."

"Which is entirely the issue!" Matron slammed her hand down on the desk. She was flustered by his blasé response to her questioning. He did not falter, however, and did not shift from his relaxed position. Khan had always reminded Morrigan of one of the princes in Adelaide's stories. Imperial and confident. Nothing ever fazed him.

"There was nothing to do." Khan stared back defiantly – even Matron had to look away.

"He could have died." She whispered, knowing full well that the weight of her words held little merit.

"Then, perhaps, he deserved to die." Khan replied quietly, simply. The answer had been obvious to all of them before he had even uttered the words. Morrigan knew it because it was truth and Matron knew because she was painfully aware of how different these children she had taken on were. These children with forbidding eyes and treacherous smiles.

"Go." She finally said after a long pause, looking down at her desk. Khan did not even blink; he just slid calmly from his seat and walked from the room. He didn't give Matron a second look.

Morrigan did not leave yet. She cocked her head to the side and really looked at Matron. The woman looked so tired; the black smudges under eyes dark against pale skin pulled taut by her tight bun. There were crow's feet at the corners of her eyes and wriggly lines on her forehead. She looked old.

"Matron?"

"I dismissed you, Morrigan. You can go." Matron did not look up from her careful study of the desk. Her voice was deflated, an insipid reflection of her usual authoritative tone. It bothered Morrigan.

"Aren't you going to punish us?" Because that was what she always did. Matron told them they did wrong and then banished them to time out, or took away their toys, or sent them to bed without supper, or a combination of all three. She never did nothing at all. Morrigan knew something was wrong. Perhaps that was the main difference between her and Khan.

'We do not abide the weak, Morrigan,' he had said after Adelaide had ordered them back to the orphanage. 'You and I both know we're different. It's so obvious. These other kids are just sheep. But we are wolves.'

She knew he was right – she could feel it deep inside. They were faster, stronger, and smarter than all the others. They didn't need to sleep or eat as much. Khan said this meant they were better. Which by simple definition, it did. When you can do something twice as well as someone else, it meant you were better. But, what Morrigan didn't know was whether it truly made them better.

"You wish to be punished?" Matron looked up at her now, confused.

"That wasn't what I said." Morrigan responded. "I asked if we were going to be punished."

"I hardly think it will do any good then." Matron broke eye contact first, standing up from her desk and turning to stare out the window. Daylight was fading fast and the horizon was tinged with an angry shade of blood red.

"That's not how it works." Morrigan was annoyed that she had turned her back on her. Matron was the adult and Morrigan was the child. That was the balance of things. "You said we did something wrong. When we do things wrong, you punish us."

"And why do I punish you, Morrigan?" Matron asked.

"So we don't do the wrong thing again." An obvious answer for an obvious question.

Matron placed two hands on the window sill and gripped it tightly, as if she had to brace herself from falling. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "See that's the problem. I do think you both will do what you did again. Punishing you will do no good." She still hadn't opened her eyes.

And now Morrigan was even more confused.


End file.
